LOUISI 


United  States  Railroad  Administration, 
Agricultural  Section. 


f  A 


\m 


X. 


Aerric.-Foiieatry.  Main  library 


f5 


w// 


^ 


^ 


Louisiana  State  Capitol 

Louisiana's  Invitation 

L  stands  for  Love  of  Country 

0  stands  for  Opportunity 
U  stands  for  Unity 

1  stands  for  Independence 
S  stands  for  Stability 

I    stands  for  Industry 

A  stands  for  Advantages 

N  stands  for  Natural  Resources 

A  stands  for  AGRICULTURE 

Of  the  forty-eight  states  comprising  the  United  States  of  America,  none  has 
shown  a  greater  love  and  a  greater  patriotic  spirit  for  her  country  than  the 
marvelous  Commonweal tli  of  Louisiana,  and  she  bids  a  most  cordial  welcome 
to  all  who  are  similarly  imbued;  to  those  who  seek  and  are  willing  to  embrace 
Opportunity;  to  those  who  believe  in  Unity  of  purpose;  to  those  who  seek 
Independence  in  its  broadest  sense;  to  those  who  believe  in  Stability  and  pro- 
gress; to  those  who  seek  a  location  to  engage  in  any  line  of  Industry;  to  those 
who  wish  to  come  among  us  as  builders  of  a  Greater  Louisiana,  she  offers  her 
matchless  Advantages;  to  those  seeking  a  location  where  Natural  Resources 
are  unexcelled,  and  where  the  richest  Agricultural  lands  on  this  continent  may 
be  found,  and  last,  but  not  least,  to  all  who  love  the  United  States  of  America, 
revere  its  institutions,  honor  its  flag,  respect  its  name,  rejoice  in  its  proud 
history,  in  its  unsullied  Liberty,  in  its  glorious  past  and  the  promise  of  its  future, 
this  marvelous  Empire  of  the  South  and  the  Gateway  of  Trade  for  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  extends  a  most  cordial  and  generous  invitation. 

1 


60< 


A* 


Attractive  Surroundings  of  a  Plantation  Home 


DESCRIPTION  AND  GENERAL  TOPOGRAPHY 

It  will  be  noticed  by  a  glance  at  the  map  of  Louisiana  that  the  State  is  inter- 
sected by  numerous  rivers.  The  Mississippi  River  forms  the  eastern  border 
down  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River,  and  then  runs  diagonally  through 
that  portion  of  the  State  lying  south  of  the  State  of  Mississippi.  The  Red  River 
cuts  diagonally  through  the  State  from  northwest  to  southeast;  the  Atchafalaya 
River,  flowing  south  from  where  the  Red  River  enters  the  Mississippi,  divides 
the  southern  part  of  the  State  into  the  eastern  alluvial  delta  section  and  the 
western  prairie  section.  The  Sabine  River  separates  it  from  Texas  on  the  west. 
The  Ouachita  River  separates  the  alluvial  bottoms  of  the  Mississippi  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  State  from  the  upland  pine  area  between  it  and  the  Red 
River;  and  numerous  smaller  rivers,  bayous  and  canals  traversing  other  parts 
of  the  State,  added  to  these,  give  it  a  total  mileage  of  navigable  waterways 
unequaled  by  any  other  state  in  the  Union.  There  are  forty-eight  navigable 
streams,  with  a  total  mileage  of  4,794  miles. 

Reference  to  a  map  of  the  United  States  will  suggest  to  one  at  a  glance  that 
the  State  of  Louisiana  occupies  a  remarkably  advantageous  position  geographi- 
cally. It  stands  at  the  natural  gateway  through  which  must  pass  the  vast 
tide  of  commerce,  which,  originating  in  the  fields,  the  forests  and  the  mines  of 
thirty  states,  or  nearly  half  of  the  total  area  of  the  United  States,  flows  seaward 
in  its  course  to  the  markets  of  the  world. 

The  total  land  area  of  the  State  amounts  to  45,400  square  miles,  of  which 
nearly  15,000  square  miles,  or  one-third  of  the  total  area,  is  alluvial  soil  or  "made 
land,"  brought  down  by  the  flood  waters  of  the  Mississippi  River  in  centuries 
past  from  the  fertile  lands  of  the  1,238,000  square  miles  of  territory  comprising 
the  Mississippi  Basin. 

In  addition  to  that  portion  of  the  State  comprising  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi there  are  about  3,000  square  miles  of  exceedingly  rich  bottom  lands  of 
the  other  rivers  that  flow  through  the  State,  and  about  1,500  square  miles  of 
level  coast  marsh  land  lying  between  the  Atchafalaya  River  and  the  western 
border  of  the  State  and  adjacent  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

Next  to  these  lands  in  point  of  fertility  are  the  open,  rolling,  high  prairie 
lands  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State,  known  as  the  Atakapas  Prairies, 
where  rice  is  grown  to  such  a  large  extent  and  with  such  wonderful  success. 

The  bluff  or  hill  lands  are  located  partly  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
State,  just  west  of  the  alluvial  portion,  and  designated  as  the  Bayou  Macon 
Hills,  and  partly  in  that  portion  of  the  State  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  im- 
mediately south  of  the  Mississippi  State  line  and  north  of  the  city  of  Baton  Rouge. 


Perhaps  the  largest  undeveloped  area  is  the  upland  or  mixed  hardwood  and 
pine  hill  country,  which  is  located  in  the  northern  and  northwestern  part  of 
the  State. 

The  long-leaf  pine  hill  lands  constitute  a  large  area  in  the  central  and  western 
part  of  the  State  on  both  sides  of  the  Red  River,  and  also  a  small  area  northeast 
from  New  Orleans. 

Finally  there  are  the  long-leaf  pine  flats,  part  of  which  are  located  in  the 
southwestern  section  of  the  State  adjoining  the  prairie  region  and  part  east 
of  the  Mississippi  River,  north  of  Lake  Pontchartrain. 

ALLUVIAL  DELTA  LANDS 

The  Alluvial  Delta  Lands  of  Louisiana  occupy  an  area  of  about  8,000  square 
miles  located  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  State,  where  the  Mississippi  River 
enters  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  They  lie  east  of  a  line  drawn  south  of  the  mouth  of 
the  Red  River,  and  south  of  a  line  drawn  east  and  west  along  the  north  shore  of 
Lake  Pontchartrain.  The  entire  region  might  be  described  as  a  rectangle  about  150 
miles  east  and  west  by  90  miles  north  and  south,  with  the  Mississippi  River  running 
diagonally  across  it  from  the  northwest  corner  to  the  southeast  corner,  and  the 
city  of  New  Orleans  located  about  twenty-five  miles  northeast  of  its  geometrical 
center. 

All  of  the  land  in  this  quadrangle  to  a  depth  of  over  2,000  feet  has  been 
formed  by  deposit  from  the  overflow  of  the  Mississippi  River  and  is,  therefore, 
pure  soil  of  the  very  richest  character;  soil  that  has  been  washed  down  from 
the  fields  and  hillsides  of  thirty  states,  whose  drainage  water  finds  an  outlet 
to  the  sea  through  the  mouth  of  this  great  river.  The  process  of  filling  in  the 
Gulf  and  building  up  this  area  by  deposit  has  been  going  on  for  centuries,  so 
that  the  mouth  of  the  river,  which  at  one  time  must  have  been  near  the  City 
of  Baton  Rouge,  has  been  gradually  pushed  out  into  the  Gulf,  the  sediment  in 
the  escaping  flood  waters  covering  the  entire  area  from  Pearl  River,  on  the 
east,  to  the  Atchafalaya  River,  on  the  west,  and  raising  it  a  little  higher  each  year. 

Ninety  per  cent  of  the  land  in  this  area  is  virgin  soil  covered  with  a  swamp 
growth  of  cypress  and  willow  in  the  upper  or  higher  portion  of  the  region,  and 
marsh  or  open  prairie  grass  in  the  larger  portion  nearest  the  Gulf.  The  only 
land  available  for  development  and  cultivation  during  the  past  two  hundred  years 
that  this  region  has  been  inhabitated,  consisted  of  a  strip  of  land  two  miles  wide 
on  either  side  of  the  river,  following  its  course  for  about  140  miles  diagonally 
across  the  region,  a  strip  of  land  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  bordering 
both  banks  of  Bayou  Lafourche  for  a  distance  of  seventy-five  miles  in  its  course 


Alluvial  Delta  Lands  before  Reclamation 
3 


south  from  Donaldsonville  to  tlie  Gulf,  and  about  seventy-live  miles  of  similar 
strips  of  high  land  along  Bayou  Manchac,  Bayou  Plaquemine,  Bayou  Terre- 
bonne, Bayou  Black  and  Bayou  Terre  aux  Boeuf. 

In  all  there  are  about  500,000  acres  embraced  in  these  lands  adjacent  to  the 
streams  that  have  been  raised  to  a  higher  elevation  than  the  other  lands  in  the 
region  by  reason  of  their  receiving  the  greater  volume  of  deposit  during  the 
process  of  formation.  These  high  strips  of  land,  being  available  for  cultivation 
without  artificial  drainage,  were  cleared,  settled  and  occupied  by  the  first  settlers 
of  Louisiana  and  for  over  a  hundred  years  they  have  been  cultivated  as  the 
banner  sugar  plantations. 

The  one  constant  menace  to  all  of  the  alluvial  land  area  of  Louisiana  was  the 
spring  overflow  of  the  Mississippi  River.  Even  after  plantations  had  been 
established  by  the  early  settlers  along  the  higher  ridges  the  flood  waters  were 
allowed  to  inundate  the  swamps  and  marshes  comprising  ninety  per  cent  of 
the  alluvial  area.  Gradually,  however,  levees  were  erected  along  both  banks 
of  the  river,  completely  confining  the  flood  waters  to  the  proper  channels,  and 
these  confining  walls  are  now  so  complete  and  so  dependable  that  there  is  little 
danger  from  overflow  and  within  the  past  ten  years  an  opportunity  has  been 
given  to  extend  the  cultivated  area  in  this  region  by  reclamation  through  arti- 
ficial drainage. 


Adequate  Levees  Insure  Protection  from  Future  Floods 


Estimating  the  total  area  embraced  in  this  alluvial  region  to  be  approxi- 
mately 5,000,000  acres,  and  allowing  500,000  acres  for  high  ridges  now  in  culti- 
vation, there  remain  about  4,500,000  acres  to  be  reclaimed,  2,500,000  acres  of 
which  are  open  marsh  prairie  lands  that  require  artificial  drainage  only  to 
enable  them  to  be  cultivated  and  developed  at  once. 

There  is  no  richer  soil  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  in  fact  the  soil  is  almost  too 
rich,  the  first  two  or  three  feet  nearest  the  surface  consisting  almost  entirely 
of  decayed  vegetable  matter,  exceedingly  rich  in  nitrogen  and,  despite  the  fact 
that  the  land  has  been  covered  with  swamp  water  ever  since  its  formation, 
it  contains  such,  an  abundance  of  decayed  fish  and  shell  matter  that  no  sour 
or  acid  effects  are  observed  even  during  the  first  year  that  it  is  put  into  culti- 
vation. 

These  prairies  are  now  being  reclaimed  by  private  capital  at  a  very  rapid 
rate  in  units  of  5,000  and  10,000  acres  and  are  offered  for  sale  in  tracts  of  40 
to  160  acres  to  those  looking  for  new  land.  There  are  already  nearly  fifty  of  these 
reclamation  projects  under  way,  embracing  something  like  250,000  acres  of  land 
that  is  being  made  ready  for  settlement. 


Drainage  Canal  Entering  into  Main  Canal 


Reclaiming  Marsh  Prairies  of  the  Delta 

The  method  of  reclamation  is  simple,  practical  and  of  moderate  cost, 
when  compared  with  the  cost  of  reclaiming,  by  irrigation,  the  arid  lands  either 
in  Egypt  or  in  the  western  part  of  the  United  States.  The  land  is  level  and 
open,  is  covered  with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  marsh  grass,  and  while  appearing 
to  be  almost  sea  level,  is  in  reality  from  three  to  five  feet  higher,  but  lacks  suffi- 
cient fall  to  enable  it  to  be  drained  by  gravity. 

In  proceeding  with  its  reclamation  and  preparation  for  cultivation,  a  tract 
of  5,000  or  10,000  acres  of  the  marsh  land  is  selected  at  random  from  a  drainage 
unit.  By  means  of  a  floating  dredge,  a  canal  is  cut  entirely  encircling  the  tract, 
the  excavated  earth  being  thrown  on  the  inside  so  as  to  form  a  surrounding 
embankment  or  levee  some  six  or  seven  feet  in  height.  The  area  thus  enclosed 
is  then  supplied  with  a  system  of  drainage  canals  cut  every  one-half  mile  apart, 
leading  into  a  main  outfall  canal  from  which  the  water  is  removed  by  a  pumping 
plant  located  at  a  point  where  this  canal  crosses  the  dam  encircling  the  enclosed 
area.  All  the  water  is  then  removed  from  the  enclosed  tract,  its  level  being 
reduced  in  the  canals  to  five  or  six  feet  below  the  level  of  the  water  on  the  out- 
side. As  the  soil  is  loamy  in  character,  and  as  the  top  surface  is  almost  pure 
decayed  vegetation,  the  land  dries  out  very  rapidly,  enabling  the  grass  to  be 
burned  off  and  the  land  to  be  immediately  plowed  and  prepared  for  cultivation. 

The  area  thus  reclaimed  is  then  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Louisiana 
as  a  municipal  district  and  drainage  bonds  are  issued  and  sold  to  pay  for  the 
work  of  reclamation.  The  average  cost  of  this  is  about  $35  per  acre,  distrib- 
uted over  a  period  of  forty  years.  The  bonds  are  a  first  lien  on  the  land  and 
draw  five  per  cent  interest,  which  together  with  the  cost  of  maintenance  and 
the  sinking  fund,  is  provided  for  by  the  levy  of  a  special  drainage  tax  amounting 
to  about  $2.50  per  acre  per  annum. 

Although  the  work  of  reclaiming  this  alluvial  area  has  been  in  progress  but 
a  few  years,  there  are  already  quite  a  number  of  reclamation  units  in  a 
highly  flourishing  and  prosperous  condition,  with  approximately  35,000  acres 
under  cultivation,  and  as  the  lands  become  better  known  to  prospective  settlers 
throughout  the  corn  belt  states,  there  is  a  constantly  increasing  demand  for 
them. 

Soil 

The  soil  forming  this  entire  Alluvial  Delta  Area  o\  5,000,000  acres  is  pure 
Mississippi  River  silt.  The  top  surface  of  the  reclaimed  marsh  area,  to  a  depth 
ui  two  or  three  feet,  consists  of  decayed  vegetable  matter,  exceedingly  rich  in 


nitrogen,  and  beneath  this  are  various  types,  designated  by  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Soils  as  Sharkey  clay,  Galveston  clay,  Yazoo  loam  and  Yazoo  clay, 
all  blending  imperceptibly  into  one  another.  It  is  without  doubt  the  very  richest 
area  of  agricultural  land  on  the  American  continent,  and  will  produce  in  abun- 
dance every  known  crop  grown  in  this  latitude.  As  indicative  of  the  fertility 
of  the  soil  comprising  this  area,  the  following  is  quoted  from  the  report  of  Pro- 
fessor Firman  E.  Bear,  Ph.  D.,  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  College  of  Agricul- 
ture, Ohio  State  University,  and  Honorary  Associate  in  Soil  Fertility,  who 
recently  made  an  analysis  of  the  soil: 

"There  is  enough  nitrogen  present  in  the  first  eight  inches  of  this  re- 
claimed marsh  land  to  supply  nitrogen  for  1,000  fifty-bushel  crops  of 
corn.  I  have  never  analyzed  a  soil  with  so  high  a  percentage  of  nitrogen." 

Water 

While  heretofore  the  native  settlers  throughout  the  Delta  Area  have  de- 
pended upon  rain  water  for  drinking  purposes,  it  has  recently  been  ascertained 
that  an  abundance  of  excellent  water  can  be  obtained  from  artesian  wells  at 
a  depth  of  from  200  to  300  feet.  Wells  have  been  struck  on  a  number  of  the 
reclaimed  tracts  throughout  the  marsh  area  sufficient  to  demonstrate  that  a 
good  supply  of  water  can  be  obtained  on  any  farm  for  about  $200.  However, 
there  is  such  an  abundance  of  rainfall  so  equally  distributed  throughout  the 
year  that  an  ordinary  cypress  tank  of  2,000  gallon  capacity  will  supply  ample 
water  for  all  domestic  purposes. 

Crops 

For  hundreds  of  years  the  staple  crop  grown  on  the  higher  portion  capable 
of  cultivation  has  been  sugar-cane,  so  that  this  region  has  for  many  years  been 
known  as  the  "sugar  bowl  of  the  nation ; "  but  the  land  is  so  rich  and  the  climate 
so  mild  that  almost  any  crop  can  be  produced  in  abundance.  Sugar-cane,  corn, 
rice  and  vegetable  truck  are  now  the  principal  crops  that  are  raised  in  the  Allu- 
vial Delta  Region. 

The  reclaimed  lands  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Orleans,  because  of  their  prox- 
imity to  markets,  are  peculiarly  adapted  to  the  production  of  truck  crops,  such 
as  onions,  cucumbers',  eggplant,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  carrots,  radishes,  turnips, 
parsnips  and  lettuce  for  the  Northern  markets,  yielding  large  returns  to  the  grower. 

The  staple  crops  that  are  being  depended  upon,  however,  are  sugar-cane 
and  corn.     The  new  virgin  soil  of  the  reclaimed  area  will  produce  large  yields 


Louisiana's  Cane  Fielcteare  the  Nation's  Sugar  Bowl 
*6 


of  sugar-cane,  marketable  at  the  near-by  sugar  mills  at  profitable  prices;  while 
corn  grown  from  selected  seed  will  yield  on  these  new  lands  from  fifty  to  one 
hundred  bushels  to  the  acre,  depending  on  the  individual  care  and  cultivation. 
Compare  these  with  the  so-called  corn-producing  states  and  one  can  readily 
appreciate  the  value  of  this  soil  as  corn  land. 

ALLUVIAL  BOTTOM  LANDS 

The  largest  area  of  the  alluvial  lands  lies  adjacent  to  the  Mississippi  River, 
and,  although  all  of  it  was,  in  the  early  history  of  the  State,  subject  to  overflow, 
the  whole  region  is  now  considered  safe  by  the  protection  that  levees  of  sufficient 
size  and  strength  afford. 

North  of  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  there  are  about  3,000,000  acres  of  such 
land,  fully  80  per  cent  of  which  is  still  undeveloped.  South  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Red  River,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi  River,  are  those  areas  designated 
as  the  Atchafalaya  Basin  and  the  Lafourche  Basin,  while  on  the  east  side  is  the 
Pontchartrain  Basin,  the  three  areas  aggregating  about  6,500,000  acres.  This 
includes  the  Alluvial  Delta  Region,  already  described  separately  in  the  preced- 
ing pages,  as  embracing  about  5,000,000  acres,  which  leaves  approximately 
1,500,000  acres  in  the  upper  part  of  the  Atchafalaya  Basin  to  be  classed  as 
alluvial  bottoms  and  discussed  under  this  heading.  The  remaining  alluvial  lands 
are  to  be  found  along  the  Red  and  Ouachita  rivers,  also  protected  by  levee^. 
These  lands  are  nearly  level,  with  a  slight  but  sufficient  slope  towards  the  south 
and  west  to  insure  good  drainage  by  gravity  when  proper  ditches  and  canals 
have  been  cut,  and  although  most  of  the  area  is  now  covered  with  bottom  land 
timber,  this  is  being  rapidly  removed  by  the  numerous  hardwood  lumber  com- 
panies and  the  lands  are  being  made  available  for  cultivation. 

These  are  some  of  the  richest  and  most  valuable  lands  in  the  State  and 
consist  largely  of  those  types  of  soil  known  as  Yazoo  loam  and  Yazoo  clay, 
which  is  found  in  one  unbroken  area  south  and  southeast  of  Baton  Rouge. 
The  Yazoo  clay  is  the  soil  type  of  greatest  extent,  and  by  far  the  most  important 
agriculturally,  in  the  Mississippi  bottoms. 

Sugar-cane  is  the  principal  crop  of  the  alluvial  bottom  lands  below  Red 
River,  while  cotton  and  corn  are  the  chief  crops  in  the  portion  above  Red  River. 
Alfalfa  is  also  grown  extensively  in  these  upper  alluvial  bottoms  along  the 
Mississippi,  as  well  as  in  those  lands  bordering  Red  River.  The  major  portion 
of  the  alluvial  lands  south  of  Red  River  are  devoted  to  cane  culture,  with  corn 
as  a  rotation  crop. 


Corn  Thrives  on  Alluvial  Lands — 50  to  100  Bushels  per  Acre 
7 


Cotton,  corn  and  alfalfa  are  the  chief  crops  produced  on  the  alluvial  bottom 
lands  above  the  sugar-cane  regions.  Thos2  in  the  Tensas,  Macon  and  Boeuf 
basins  above  Red  River  contain  some  of  the  finest  producing  lands,  and  with 
proper  care  and  cultivation  and  adequate  drainage,  will  yield  from  one  to  one 
and  a  half  bales  of  long  staple  cotton  to  the  acre. 

Corn  is  by  far  the  most  profitable  crop  that  can  be  raised  by  the  average 
farmer  on  the  alluvial  bottom  lands  of  Louisiana  since  the  introduction  of 
better  methods  of  cultivation. 

Not  only  are  the  alluvial  bottom  lands  of  the  State  the  best  that  can  be 
had  for  growing  of  such  staple  crops  as  sugar-cane,  cotton  and  corn,  but  they 
are  also  ideally  situated  for  live-stock  raising  and  the  production  of  meat.  There 
are  thousands  of  acres  of  rich  alluvial  bottom  lands  awaiting  the  settler,  that 
can  be  had  at  very  low  prices. 

BLUFF  LANDS 

The  Bluff  Land  Section  embraces  an  area  of  about  2,000,000  acres.  These 
lands  are  from  80  to  200  feet  above  sea  level  and  have  not  been  in  any  way 
affected  by  the  Mississippi  River  floods.  The  land  is  quite  fertile  and  preferred 
by  some  to  the  alluvial  bottom  lands. 

There  is  an  abundance  of  good  water  from  springs,  streams  and  wells. 
The  land  is  somewhat  hilly  and  is  well  adapted  to  dairying,  live-stock  grazing, 
truck  raising  and  generally  diversified  farming,  including  the  following  crops: 
Cotton,  corn,  sugar-cane,  oats,  hay,  sweet  potatoes,  Irish  potatoes  and  peanuts. 

Cotton  is  by  far  the  most  important  crop,  yielding  in  good  seasons  about 
three-fourths  bale  per  acre.  Corn  returns  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  bushels. 
Lespedeza  is  highly  prized  for  pasturage  or  hay.  It  yields  about  one  ton  per 
acre,  and  in  addition  is  a  valuable  fertilizer.  Cowpeas  are  occasionally  sown 
in  the  corn  for  forage  and  this  practice  is  to  be  commended.  Crab  grass  grows 
spontaneously  and  makes  a  good  hay,  yielding  from  one  to  two  tons  per  acre. 
Oats  do  well  in  this,  as  well  as  all  other  sections  of  Louisisana.  Seed  may  be 
sown  from  early  October  to  the  middle  of  December  and  the  crop  harvested 
the  following  May.  An  average  yield  for  what  would  be  classed  as  a  good  crop 
is  around  forty  bushels  per  acre,  and  sixty  bushels  may  be  obtained  in  exception- 
ally favorable  conditions. 


Harvesting  Oats  in  May.    Average  Yield  50  Bushels  per  Acre 


PINE  HILL  LANDS 
The  Pine  Hill  Lands  embrace  an  area  of  about  4,900,000  acres,  located 
about  the  central  part  of  the  State  on  both  sides  of  Red  River,  with  a  small 
portion  lying  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  north  of  New  Orleans.  These  lands 
are  commonly  known  as  the  cut-over  pine  lands,  which  can  be  bought  on 
very  reasonable  terms,  and  which  are  excellent  for  diversified  crops. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  survey  made  from  this  portion  of  the  State: 

"It  is  only  within  the  last  few  years,  since  the  timber  has  been  so 
largely  removed  and  the  agricultural  population  of  the  region  has  in- 
creased, that  any  considerable  areas  of  this  soil  have  been  under  culti- 
vation. Its  location  is  excellent,  thus  insuring  good  drainage;  it  responds 
readily  to  fertilization  and  holds  moisture  well  during  the  summer, 
while  its  fine  sand  content  makes  it  an  easy  soil  to  work.  With  these 
advantages  it  is  well  adapted  either  to  truck  growing  or  to  general  farming. 
At  the  present  time  it  is  used  for  all  of  the  general  crops  of  the  region,  . 
besides  such  special  crops  as  strawberries,  cabbage,  radishes,  lettuce, 
tomatoes,  and  other  trucking  crops.  With  ordinary  care  and  attention 
cotton  will  average  one-half  bale  per  acre.  Corn  will  average  about  twenty 
bushels  per  acre,  although  as  much  as  fifty  bushels  per  acre  is  sometimes 
grown  after  some  highly  fertilized  crop.  There  is  a  moderate  acreage  in  oats 
and  satisfactory  yields  are  secured.  Trucking  is  becoming  a  very  profit- 
able industry,  and  the  profits  from  a  single  acre  are  sometimes  $200  to 
$300  or  more,  depending  upon  the  season,  the  market  and  the  care  and 
attention  given  to  the  crops." 


Soy  Beans  a  Good  Hay  and  Silage  Crop  for  Louisiana 


The  crops  most  usually  planted  in  the  Pine  Hill  Lands  are  cotton,  corn; 
sorghum,  oats,  peanuts,  sweet  potatoes,  velvet  beans  and  soy  beans.  Cotton 
is  the  staple  crop,  but  it  is  giving  way  rapidly  to  diversified  farming,  more 
attention  being  now  paid  to  the  raising  of  oats,  hay,  clover  and  velvet  beans. 
and  the  production  of  cattle  and  hogs. 

PINE  FLATS 
(Cut-Over  Pine  Lands) 

The  Cut-Over  Pine  Lands  of  Louisiana  occupy  an  area  of  about  1,300,000 
acres  located  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  State  and  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  north  of  Lake  Pontchartrain.  Because  of  their  advantageous  location 
to  markets  and  the  low  price  at  which  the  land  can  be  bought,  the  truck  grower, 
the  farmer,  the  dairyman,  the  sheep  grower  and  the  cattleman  are  rapidly 
investing  their  money  in  these  lands. 

9 


75  Per  Cent.of  the  Milk  Shipped  to  New  Orleans  Is  from  the  Cut-Over  Pine  Lands 

It  would  be  next  to  impossible  to  do  any  one  section,  or  division,  of  this 
great  State  justice,  even  though  the  entire  booklet  were  devoted  to  it.  This 
is  especially  true  of  the  Cut-Over  Pine  Lands,  and  we  will,  therefore,  call  the 
attention  of  the  homeseeker  to  a  few  of  the  outstanding  facts  concerning  the 
above  territory. 

(1)  Ninety  per  cent  of  all  the  sheep  in  Louisiana  are  on  cut-over  land. 

(2)  Eighty  per  cent  of  the  sweet  potatoes  that  are  shipped  from  the  State 
are  from  the  cut-over  land  section. 

(3)  All  the  strawberries  are  from  the  cut-over  section. 

(4)  Seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  milk  shipped  to  New  Orleans  is  from 
the  cut-over  lands. 

(5)  The  cut-over  section  leads  in  the  production  of  velvet  beans,  soy 
beans,  and  is  best  adapted  for  peanuts. 

(6)  The  very  best  cabbage,  cauliflower,  beets,  snap  beans,  and  in  fact 
all  kinds  of  vegetables,  are  grown  and  shipped  from  the  cut-over 
lands. 


Cut-Over  Pine  Lands — an  Attractive  Field  for  the  Ranchman 
10 


In  addition  to  the  above,  very  fine  crops  of  corn,  oats,  Irish  potatoes  and 
cotton  are  grown. 

This  territory  has  been  termed  "The  Ozone  Belt"  of  the  State  and  every 
winter  thousands  of  people  from  the  Northern  States  flock  to  this  section  to  bask 
in  its  sunshine,  to  inhale  the  fragrance  and  enjoy  the  beauty  of  its  flowers,  and 
to  quaff  of  the  water  of  eternal  youth  flowing  from  artesian  wells  at  a  depth 
of  over  2,000  feet. 

UPLAND  SECTION 

The  Uplands  of  Lousiana  occupy  an  area  of  about  5,500,000  acres,  lying 
in  the  northern  and  northwestern  portion  of  the  State.  The  land  is  hilly  and 
rolling,  usually  covered  with  hardwood  and  pine.  The  soil  is  not  rich,  but  by 
growing  legumes  and  rotation  of  crops  can  be  made  very  productive  and  can 
be  bought  at  prices  exceedingly  attractive. 

As  in  nearly  all  of  the  other  sections  of  the  State,  except  the  Prairie  Section 
and  the  Alluvial  Delta  Section,  cotton  and  corn  are  the  leading  staple  crops 
in  the  Upland  Section.  Other  crops,  such  as  oats,  clover,  hay,  sorghum,  peanuts 
and  sweet  potatoes  are  grown  with  good  success,  however,  as  the  land  is  en- 
riched by  cultivation  of  cowpeas,  velvet  beans  and  soy  beans.  Lespedeza 
clover  is  now  receiving  considerable  attention  in  Louisiana  as  a  hay  crop  and 
is  being  grown  with  great  success,  not  only  in  the  Bluff  Land,  but  also  throughout 
the  northern  parishes  constituting  the  Upland  Section. 

Sweet  potatoes  are  grown  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  but  especially  throughout 
the  Pine  Hill  Lands  and  the  Uplands.  The  crop  is  a  valuable  one  to  the  State 
and  in  1918  amounted  to  $6,240,000,  ranking  sixth  in  the  value  of  crops.  The 
sweet  potato  is  becoming  better  known  and  appreciated  throughout  the  North 
and  the  more  thickly  populated  sections  of  the  United  States  and  as  a  result,  there 
is  constantly  increasing  demand,  so  that  in  time  it,  too,  will  become  quite  a  profit- 
able crop.  Of  recent  years  canning  factories  have  been  established  and  a  larger 
portion  of  the  crop  is  now  put  up  and  marketed  in  this  manner. 


Peanuts — a  Profitable  Crop  for  Live  Stock 
11 


Party  of  Homeseekers  in  the  "Prairie  Country."    40,000  Acres 
Settled  by  Northern  Farmers  in  Sixteen  Months 


ATAKAPAS  PRAIRIE  SECTION 

The  Prairie  Lands  situated  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  State  and  em- 
bracing an  area  of  about  2,500,000  acres,  are  located  in  the  Parishes  of  Calcasieu, 
Davis,  Vermillion,  Lafayette,  Acadia,  St.  Landry,  Evangeline,  Allen  and  Iberia. 
The  soil  is  composed  of  broken  down  bluffs  and  the  land  is  open,  generally 
rolling,  and  gradually  slopes  towards  the  sea.     . 

One  may  obtain  quite  an  accurate  idea  of  the  Prairie  Lands  from  the  follow- 
ing authentic  report  taken  from  the  soil  survey  of  that  parish  by  the  United 
States  Government  made  in  1903: 

"The  soil  types  of  the  prairie  region  as  a  whole  may  be  fairly  judged 
by  a  description  of  the  soil  in  Acadia  Parish  located  about  the  center 
of  this  area.  The  United  States  Soil  Survey  of  this  parish  shows 
seven  distinct  types:  Crowley  silt  loam,  Acadia  silt  loam,  Landry  silt 
loam,  Lake  Charles  fine  sandy  loam,  Swamp  and  Galveston  clay.  The 
Crowley  silt  loam  is  the  typical  rice  land  of  southwestern  Louisiana. 
By  structure,  topography,  texture  and  productiveness  it  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  the  growing  of  rice  on  a  large  scale  and  at  a  minimum  expense. 
The  soil  ranges  in  depth  from  ten  to  twenty-five  inches,  but  the  usual 
average  depth  is  about  sixteen  inches.  It  is  a  brown,  ash  gray  loam, 
composed  of  fine  sand  and  silt,  with  a  sufficient  proportion  of  clay  to 
give  it  a  loamy  cohesiveness  and  to  render  it  impervious  to  such  a  degree 
that  pools  of  water  collecting  on  the  surface  usually  remain  until  eva- 
porated. 

"The  healthfulness  of  this  section  has  been  thoroughly  established. 
Although  a  large  number  of  the  immigrants  to  the  rice  belt  have  come 
from  northern  latitudes,  thay  have  had  no  difficulty  in  becoming  accus- 
tomed to  the  climate.  The  standing  water  on  the  rice  fields  has  not 
been  observed  to  have  any  detrimental  effect  upon  the  health  of  the 
community." 

12 


y^gMM^i 

._  •  ■>>  _>_ 

1         **i.^^ 

' 

^vksft 

?* 

Irrigating  Rice 

Crops 

Prior  to  1884  most  of  this  area,  like  the  prairie  lands  of  Texas,  was  given 
over  to  cattle  grazing,  although  a  small  portion  of  it  was  devoted  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  cotton  and  corn  in  scattered  locations.  About  that  year,  it  was  ascer- 
tained these  lands  could  be  artificially  irrigated  and  made  available  for  the 
growing  of  rice,  the  cultivation  of  which  has  spread  rapidly  throughout  the 
entire  Prairie  Land  Region  and  is  the  largest  area  of  land  in  the  United  States 
devoted  to  raising  of  rice. 

The  staple  crops  of  cotton,  corn,  sugar-cane,  sweet  potatoes  and  all  varieties 
of  garden  truck,  together  with  every  variety  of  grass  and  clover  do  exceptionally 
well  and  are  grown  in  all  parts  of  the  Prairie  Land  Section. 

This  is  in  reality  Acadia — the  part  of  Louisiana  made  famous  by  Longfellow's 
"Evangeline"  and  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  attractive  sections  in  the 
South.  Nearly  all  of  the  native  inhabitants  are  the  descendants  of  those  French- 
Canadians,  who,  driven  out  of  Nova  Scotia  by  the  English,  came  to  Louisiana 
and  settled  in  this  delightful  country,  "Where  the  grass  grows  more  in  a  single 
night  than  in  a  whole  Canadian  summer." 


• 

-j£^^ 

„ 

— 

*£rmi%<* 

<ir 

rFS 

ML  • 

% 

v  jL    \i 

.  ;   '■• 

Threshing  Rice 
13 


SEA  COAST  MARSH  LANDS 

The  Sea  Coast  Marsh  Section  as  distinguished  from  the  Alluvial  Marsh 
Section  east  of  the  Atchafalaya  River,  embraces  an  area  of  about  200,000  acres 
lying  just  south  of  the  prairie  lands  adjacent  to  the  Gulf  in  the  parishes  of 
Cameron  and  Vermillion.  These  marsh  lands  are  for  the  most  part  flat,  undrained 
areas  very  slightly  above  sea  level,  whose  top  soil  consists  of  washings  from 
the  prairie  lands  above,  mixed  with  decayed  vegetable  matter,  entirely  different 
in  character  from  the  Yazoo  loam,  Yazoo  clay  and  Sharkey  clay,  formed  by 
deposits  from  the  waters  of  the  Atchafalaya  and  Mississippi  rivers. 

The  land  is  susceptible  to  reclamation  by  the  same  methods  that  are  now 
being  pursued  in  the  Delta  Marsh  Section  and  will  undoubtedly  prove  very 
valuable  when  thus  reclaimed.  There  is  a  considerable  area  of  this  section 
that  is  capable  of  drainage  by  gravity  and  this  scattered  acreage  is  now  available 
for  settlement,  and  is  proving  to  be  very  desirable  land.  As  may  be  supposed 
the  climate  in  this  section  is  very  mild  in  winter  and  the  summer  temperatures 
never  run  high,  because  of  the  proximity  to  the  Gulf. 

Rice  and  sugar-cane  are  the  staple  crops  there  now,  but  the  fertility  of 
the  soil  and  extremely  mild  winter  climate  make  it  an  ideal  region  for  the  grow- 
ing of  citrus  fruit. 

Reclamation  of  these  lands  has  already  begun  and  quite  a  large  area  is  now 
being  developed  by  Northern  capital  in  the  vicinity  of  White  Lake  in  Vermillion 
Parish.  If  these  areas  are  properly  leveed  and  drained  and  if  the  drainage  districts 
formed  under  the  direction  and  guidance  of  the  State  Board  of  Engineers  are 
equipped  with  adequate  pumping  plants,  there  is  no  reason  why  thousands 
of  acres  of  very  desirable  rich  land  cannot  be  made  available  for  settlement  at 
an  early  date,  but,  as  in  the  reclaimed  Delta  Marsh  Land  Section,  great  care 
should  be  exercised  by  the  newcomer  to  see  that  the  land  he  is  purchasing  is 
located  in  a  district  that  is  properly  organized  and  adequately  equipped  for 
complete  and  thorough  reclamation.  Lands  thus  reclaimed  will  produce 
abundant  crops  of  corn,  sugar-cane,  onions  and  Irish  potatoes,  besides  affording 
every  opportunity  for  raising  cattle  and  hogs  at  a  lower  cost  than  they  can  be 
raised  anywhere  else  in  the  country. 

Sea-island  cotton  is  being  grown  in  parts  of  this  region  near  the  Gulf  as  an 
experiment  and  as  all  of  the  elements  essential  to  the  successful  growing  of  this 
variety  of  cotton  are  to  be  found  here,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  when  reclaimed, 
the  Sea  Coast  Marsh  Lands  of  Louisiana  will  become  one  of  the  most  productive 
sources  of  this  grade  of  long-staple  cotton  in  America. 


Sea  Coast  Marsh  Lands  Ideal  for  Citrus  Fruits 
14 


LIVE  STOCK 

One  of  Louisiana's  greatest  needs  is  more  and  better  live  stock,  through 
which  to  market  her  native  feeding  materials  and  others  which  may  be  inex- 
pensively raised,  and  help  increase  and  maintain  the  fertility  of  her  lands,  which 
previously  had  been  more  or  less  depleted  through  a  prevailing  system  of  single 
cropping. 

Up  to  the  present  Louisana  has  not  even  approached  the  point  of  maximum 
production,  either  in  food  crops  or  in  the  number  or  quality  of  her  live  stock, 
to  be  able  to  successfully  compete  in  the  metropolitan  markets  with  the  more 
advanced  sections  of  the  country.  But  with  her  possibilities  for  greatly  increased 
feed  production  of  almost  every  variety  and  with  a  vastly  increased  number 
of  animals,  especially  of  the  meat  producing  kinds,  it  is  only  a  question  of  time 
when  she  will  be  able  to  take  her  place  among  the  most  advanced. 

That  Louisiana  is  a  live-stock  State  is  proven  by  .the  fact  that  she  already 
has  within  her  borders  representatives  of  all  the  modern,  improved  kinds  of 
farm  animals  and  a  great  majority  of  the  different  breeds,  especially  in  cattle 
(both  beef  and  dairy)  and  in  hogs;  and  is  in  a  fair  way  to  become  a  sheep  section, 
more  particularly  in  the  cut-over  pine  regions. 


"■%      _afc_ 

H  - 

mm 

< 

rjffc 

■ 

9  V 

} 

'   ? 

No  Section  of  the  Country  Can  Produce  Cattle  More  Cheaply  than  Louisiana 


Cattle 

The  chief  obstacle  to  the  successful  raising  of  cattle  hitherto  has  been  the 
presence  of  the  common  cattle  tick — the  carrier  of  the  germ  of  Texas  or  Tick 
Fever — which  not  only  caused  the  deaths  of  a  considerable  percentage  of  im- 
ported animals  for  breeding  purposes,  and  placed  a  severe  check  on  the  develop- 
ment and  production  of  native  stock,  but  practically  closed  the  Northern  markets 
to  her  cattle.  This  state  of  affairs,  however,  is  virtually  a  thing  of  the  past, 
and  by  the  close  of  1919  the  entire  State  will  be  practically  tick-free.  This 
means  free  access  to  all  markets;  the  elimination  of  the  danger  to  imported, 
susceptible  cattle;  greater  development  of  both  beef  and  dairy  stock,  and  the 
placing  of  the  State,  with  her  cattle  interests,  on  a  par  with  those  that  have 
never  suffered  from  this  particular  incubus. 

The  breeds  of  beef  cattle  at  present  represented  in  the  State  are  the  Shorthorn, 
Polled  Durham,  Hereford,  Aberdeen  Angus,  with  a  few  Brahmans  in  some 
sections.    Of  the  smaller  breeds  there  are  the  Devon  and  Red  Poll. 

Of  the  dairy  breeds  there  are  the  Jersey,  Guernsey  and  Holstein  mainly. 
The  dairy  industry  is  being  developed  to  quite  a  large  extent  in  sections  easily 
accessible  to  the  larger  cities  and  towns  and  convenient  to  lines  of  transportation. 

15 


Nil     j^l^^llf^ 
ir^te  \s  Www  iw»mim 

|,''--'*-':r/'l''i  '  °*       |i  j  ;  i'j  ■>*  fife 

^V4  .___ aJ$-&- 4^f 


®fci 


tiP 


HILLS      j 
\ 


fiii 


+  ""-iW. 


:■£* 


GRANT 


s 


•>  ;.<\-' 


V 


** 


I 


V%..v     E    R    N    0    N 


ft    * 


S 


TF*    - •  — 


^ 


fe^ 


*V 


« 


\W 


«xr  -4* 


m 
*% 


SK! 


5*$/ 


^t 


-*v. 


r  i   c    r* 


EVANGfLlNE 


'Hm 


1C'  <v,-V 


_f_.^-. 


ST. 


^; 


^      VRMRIEJ 


#N 


L0. 


A  C  A  01 


V 


& 


T 


V! 


DAVIS 


/ 


~}l 


J 


\ 


vKftlYMJi 


idrr: 


rs 


J.   M  A  R  >. 


&5*v 


71 


.sW 


^: 


'•'.3 


■Or* 


i   v 


IR'M  lil/ 


/ 


1 


^r.w 


I  Hfflll 


>fc 


JS  T. 


o    f        m    f;  x    i    e    o    ^-A^ 


GULF 


16 


UISIANA 

KEY 

23  ALLUVIAL    LANDS 

~D  BLUFFS 

3)  COAST    MARSH 

Z)  DELTA 

Z3  PINE   FLATS 

■  PINE   HILLS 

D  PRAIRIES 

&D  UPLANDS 


■■»••■  •  ••■■■■*>  •  ■■■■■■»   a  I 


j  ^  f[ats      <  ' 


LOUISIANA 


"/  f/oui/  Deri/  mucA  //  //iere 
f's  another  State  in  the  Union 
where  one  can  as  easily  grow 
an  abundant  supply  of  those 
things  that  make  good  home 
living  on  a  small  area  and 
leave  the  major  portion  of  the 
land  and  the  energy  of  the 
farmer  to  the  production  of 
money  crops.  " 

~W.  R.  DODSON 

Dean  of  the  Louisiana  College 
of  Agriculture  and  Director  of 
the  State  Experiment  Station. 


(An  Acrostic) 

Leads  the  world  in  the  pro- 
duction of  salt  and 
sulphur. 

On  her  farms  is  produced 
95%  of  the  sugar  cane. 

Under  her  lands  are  vast 
fields  of  oil  and  gas. 

In  manufactures  she  stands 
second  in  the  South  and 
sixth  in  the  Nation. 

Save  one,  she  produces  more 

lumber  than   any  other 

State. 
Inside   her    borders    is    the 

greatest    mileage     of 

navigable  waterways. 
Alluvial   land — the    largest 

area  of  any  State. 
New  Orleans  is  the  second 

largest    port    on    the 

Atlantic. 
Agriculture  is  the  principal 

industry  of  her  people. 


17 


Hogs  the  Most  Profitable  of  All  Live  Stock 


Hogs 

Hog  raising  is  more  generally  practiced  throughout  the  State,  perhaps,  than 
any  other  branch  of  the  live-stock  industry  and,  on  the  whole,  is  very  successful 
and  profitable,  with  a  superior  class  of  animals  being  the  rule  rather  than  the 
exception.  One  of  the  greatest  stimuli  to  this  branch  of  the  industry  has  been 
the  Boys'  Pig  Clubs  fostered  and  encouraged  by  the  co-operative  action  of  the 
Federal  Government,  the  Extension  Service  of  the  Louisiana  State  University 
and  local  interests.  All  varieties  of  crops  suitable  for  hog  feeding  can  be  raised 
both  of  a  succulent  and  concentrated  character,  at  a  minimum  cost,  when 
intelligently  handled. 

We  believe  we  are  correct  in  the  statement  that  more  money  changes  hands 
in  the  State  every  year  as  the  result  of  hog  production  than  from  any  other 
branch  of  the  live-stock  industry.  It  may  be  stated  here  that  while  hogs  are 
subject  to  their  diseases,  like  other  animals,  Louisiana  has  its  Live-Stock  Sanitary 
Board,  or  "Health  of  Animals  Department,"  whose  chief  efforts  are  to  try  to 
prevent,  control  and  eradicate  diseases  of  a  contagious  nature,  including  cholera, 
and  has  a  plant  of  its  own  for  the  production  of  serum,  which  hog  owners  may 
obtain  at  a  minimum  cost. 

Of  the  different  breeds  of  hogs  in  the  State  may  be  mentioned  the  Duroc 
Jersey,  Berkshire,  Poland  China,  Hampshire  and  a  few  Tamworths  and  Essex. 
There  are  also  some  Yorkshire  and  other  varieties  of  the  white-skinned  breeds. 
If  one  should  be  guided  by  numbers  the  Duroc  would  seem  to  be  the  more 
generally  popular  breed. 

Sheep 

Sheep  raising  in  Louisiana  may  be  said  to  be  in  its  infancy,  although  the 
conditions  are  favorable  and  the  possibilties  great,  which  are  gradually  coming 
to  be  realized.  But  in  the  aggregate  the  State  possesses  quite  a  large  number 
of  sheep  on  the  different  piny  woods  ranges,  which  up  to  the  present  have 
been  of  a  somewhat  inferior  quality  and  kept  mainly  for  their  annual  wool-clip, 
which  costs  the  owners  but  little  to  produce.  Of  later  years,  however,  a  con- 
siderable number  of  pure-bred  rams  have  been  imported  for  grading  purposes 
with  resultant  improvement  generally,  in  both  mutton  and  wool  kinds.  Still 
there  is  great  room  for  improvement  and  with  the  possibilities  for  success  in 
this  important  branch  of  husbandry  in  the  hands  of  men  thoroughly  familiar 
with  it,  there  is  no  question  that  it  could  be  made  most  profitable,  especially 
in  mutton  production  primarily,  either  as  a  farm  or  as  a  range  proposition. 

A  good  many  of  the  Down  or  mutton  breeds  are  represented,  such  as  the 
Shropshire,  Hampshire,  Southdown,  some  Horned  Dorsets  and  Merinos,  chiefly 
the  Rambouillet. 

18 


As  Good  as  Grown  in  Missouri 


Horses  and  Mules 


Horses  and  mules  are  raised  in  Louisiana  that  are  as  sound  and  good  as 
those  in  any  other  section.  The  large  draft  breeds  of  horses  have  not  as  yet 
gained  much  of  a  foothold  on  account  of  the  mule  having  been,  and  still  being,  the 
principal  draft  animal  and  seems  better  suited  under  present  conditions.  Many 
farmers,  however,  are  gradually  adopting  horses  of  the  heavier  breeds,  which 
seem  to  be  giving  satisfactory  results,  especially  in  the  hands  of  the  more  intelli- 
gent class  of  men.  Of  the  breeds  of  horses  of  lighter  weight,  there  are  to  be 
found  the  Oldenburg  Coach,  French  Coach,  English  Hackney,  "Kentucky" 
Saddle  Horse  and  the  Standard  Bred,  which  latter  is  rather  extensively  raised 
for  light  harness  purposes.  With  the  proper  foundation  stock,  as  fine  mules 
may  be  raised  in  Louisiana  as  anywhere,  and  up  to  any  desired  size. 

Significant   Facts 

Live  stock  as  a  whole  enjoys  excellent  health  in  the  State  and  is  as  free  from 
diseases  as  in  any  other  parts  of  the  country,  though  outbreaks  of  anthrax 
occasionally  occur  in  some  sections,  but  this  may  be  controlled  by  intelligent 
preventive  and  other  sanitary  measures. 


/w*%ir*»v.  *** 


Conditions  Favorable  for  Sheep  Raising 
19 


There  is,  or  can  be,  an  abundance  of  feedstuffs  grown  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  any  and  all  varieties;  and  the  State  is  exceptionally  favored  with  an  abundance 
of  pure  wholesome  water  from  rivers,  bayous,  springs,  artesian  wells,  etc.,  which 
is  a  most  valuable  and  indispensable  item  in  connection  with  stock  raising  of 
any  kind.  It  may  be  further  stated,  as  showing  the  interest  in  the  live-stock 
industry  already  existing  in  the  State,  that  almost  every  branch  has  its  live-stock 
organization  or  association  to  foster  and  encourage  its  particular  interests. 
Of  these  may  be  mentioned  the  Louisiana  Dairymen's  Association,  the  Louisiana 
Jersey  Breeders'  Association,  the  Louisiana  Swine  Breeders'  Association,  etc., 
whose  memberships  are  composed  of  some  of  the  leading  men  of  the  State. 

There  is  no  question  as  to  Louisiana's  possibilities  as  a  live-stock  State. 
She  has  everything  needed  to  make  her  such,  except  that  she  needs  more  good 
farmers,  or  stockmen,  who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  more  intelligent  and 
practical  side  of  the  live-stock  business  to  help  her  realize  to  the  full  extent  the 
possibilities  she  possesses  in  abundance,  and  which  are  simply  awaiting  greater 
development. 

DAIRYING 

Dairying  is  diversified  farming  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word.  It  is  the  gate- 
way to  prosperity.  It  is  farming  on  a  cash  basis.  It  is  intensified  farming.  It 
is  profitable  farming.  And  the  State  of  Louisiana  offers  splendid  opportunities 
for  profitable  dairy  farming.  The  development  of  this  industry  on  an  extensive 
scale  awaits  the  influx  of  people  who  understand  the  handling  of  stock  and  the 
production  and  proper  handling  of  dairy  products. 

The  advantages  of  this  phase  of  farming  in  Louisiana  are  especially  attractive 
because  of  the  long  pasturage  season,  the  plentiful  supply  of  rich  feedstuffs 
and  the  nearness  to  large  markets  like  New  Orleans,  Baton  Rouge,  Alexandria 
and  Shreveport,  where  there  is  at  all  times  a  ready  market  for  dairy  products, 
the  supply  not  equaling  the  demand.  As  a  rule  the  price  paid  for  milk,  butter 
and  cream  is  the  same  as  paid  in  the  dairy  states  of  the  North. 


Dairying  Is  the  Gateway  to  Prosperity 
20 


CROPS 

The  principal  crops  of  Louisiana  are  cotton,  sugar-cane,  corn,  rice,  - 
potatoes,  hay  crops,  truck  crops,  velvet  beans,  soy  beans,  oats,  peanuts,  tobacco 
and  citrus  fruits. 

The  Commissioner  of  Agriculture  and  Immigration  for  the  State  of  Louisiana 
furnishes  the  following  estimate  of  crop  values  for  the  year  1918: 

Cotton  crop $100,000,000.00 

Sugar,  molasses  and  syrup (if), 000,000. 00 

( lorn  crop ' 56,000,000.00 

Rice  crop 35,061,000.00 

Hay  crop 6,521,000.00 

Sweet  potato  crop 6,240,000.00 

Irish  potato  crop 3,560,000.00 

Vegetable  crop 3,100,000.00 

Fruit  and  nut  crop 2,000,000.00 

Oats  crop 1,980,000.00 

Peanut  crop 1,980,000.00 

Strawberry  crop 1,252,000.00 

Tobacco  crop 82,000.00 


■^ 

-#** 

M  i^*^ 

•^   i 

V-- 

IN  4 

•' 

V 

• 

A* 

^v  $5i 

1 

■V 

<*  f    1 

' 

Cotton,  the  Principal  Money  Crop 


Cotton 

In  common  with  the  other  Southern  States,  Louisiana  has  a  large  territory 
adapted  to  this  plant,  but  Louisiana  has  the  added  advantage  of  any  other 
southern  state  in  that  a  larger  percentage  of  her  territory  is  eminently  adapted 
to  the  production  of  sugar-cane  and  rice;  and  of  late  years,  especially  since 
the  appearance  of  the  boll  weevil,  these  crops,  with  corn,  have  proven  safer 
and  more  profitable  than  cotton  upon  the  rich  alluvial  lands  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State.  But  from  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  south  to  the  Atakapas 
Prairies,  cotton  is  the  dominating  crop,  except  on  the  alluvial  lands  south  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Red  River.  North  of  this  river,  even  on  the  alluvial  lands, 
cotton  replaces  sugar-cane  and  becomes  the  principal  crop.  In  the  Pine  Hill 
Lands,  where  there  is  much  cut-over  land,  cotton  produces  a  good  yield  with 
a  small  amount  of  acid  phosphate  as  a  fertilizer.  The  yield  is  from  one-fourth 
of  a  bale  on  lands  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  to  one-half  or  three- 
fourths  of  a  bale  on  the  uplands  and  Atakapas  Prairies,  to  a  bale  or  one  and 
one-half  bales  on  the  rich  Alluvial  and  Reclaimed  Marsh  Lands. 

21 


Cutting  Sugar-Cane 

Sugar- Cane 

The  mention  of  this  crop  is  almost  synonymous  with  a  mention  of  the  State. 
Louisiana  is  the  only  State  in  the  Union  where  sugar-cane  is  grown  in  any  con- 
siderable quantity  for  the  production  of  sugar.  Previous  to  the  development 
of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  this  country,  Louisiana  produced  practically  all 
the  sugar  that  was  not  imported.  It  stands  second  in  value  of  the  crops  of  the 
State.  It  is  grown  for  commercial  sugar  only  upon  the  rich  Alluvial  and  Re- 
claimed Marsh  Lands. 

Sugar-cahe  requires  a  very  rich  soil  and  plenty  of  water,  but  it  demands 
good  drainage  also.  Its  cultivation  at  the  present  time  is  confined  principally 
to  the  large  plantations  from  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  south,  although 
many  farmers  are  raising  sugar-cane  on  a  small  acreage  and  selling  it  direct 
to  the  mills  on  these  plantations  at  prices  ranging  from  $3.50  to  $8.00  per  ton. 
Approximately  three-fourths  of  the  cane  crop  of  the  State  in  the  sugar  mill 
district  is  produced  by  the  mill  owners;  the  remainder  is  purchased  from  tenant 
farmers  of  small  areas  and  planters  who  do  not  own  or  share  in  the  ownership 
of  a  mill  factory. 

In  addition  to  the  growth  of  sugar-cane  in  Louisiana  for  the  production  of 
sugar,  a  considerable  acreage  is  grown  for  the  production  of  cane  syrup.  Most 
of  the  sugar-cane  raised  for  this  purpose  is  produced  by  the  small  farmer  and 
on  the  thinner,  lighter  lands  of  the  State.  It  is  an  important  fact  also  that 
cane  for  the  manufacture  of  syrup  can  be  grown  much  farther  north  than  it 
can  for  the  manufacture  of  sugar.  The  yield  per  acre  is  from  200  to  400  gallons 
and  it  is  sold  at  prices  ranging  from  ninety  cents  to  $1.25  per  gallon  at  the  present 
time,  with  an  active  demand.  The  crop  is  particularly  adapted  to  the  Pine 
Flats,  when  properly  drained,  to  the  Pine  Hill  Lands  and  much  of  the  Uplands 
of  the  State. 

Corn 

This  crop  will  grow  anywhere  in  the  State  that  cotton  will  grow,  and,  in 
addition,  thrive  in  many  places  where  cotton  will  not  produce  successfully. 
The  Alluvial  Soils  of  the  State,  as  well  as  the  reclaimed  Marsh  Lands  of  the 
Delta,  are  pre-eminent  "corn  lands."  Louisiana  has  only  recently  given  atten- 
tion to  the  production  of  corn,  and  the  results  achieved  have  been  surprising. 
Not  only  has  the  yield  per  acre,  under  improved  methods,  been  much  higher 
than  formerly,  but  surprising  results  have  been  shown  in  the  quality  of  the 
corn.  In  the  cane  belt  area  of  the  State,  cane  is  now  commonly  grown  in  rota- 
tion with  corn.  Cowpeas  are  put  in  with  the  corn  during  cultivation  of  the 
crop,  usually  with  the  last  plowing,  and  thus  the  fertility  of  the  land  is  steadily 

maintained  for  the  cane  crop. 

» 

22 


Field  of  Corn  Yielding  250  Bushels  on  One  Acre 


Corn  on  the  Alluvial  Lands  and  the  reclaimed  Marsh  Lands  of  the  State 
yields  from  50  to  100  bushels  to  the  acre.  This  wide  variation  depends  more 
upon  the  season  than  upon  anything  else;  since  a  farmer  usually  plants  all  the 
acreage  he  can  possibly  take  care  of  during  a  favorable  season.  If  an  unfavor- 
able season  comes,  such  as  a  late  spring,  deficient  stand  or  too  much  rain,  some 
crop  must  suffer;   and  with  the  southern  farmer  it  is  usually  the  corn. 

Corn  on  the  Bluff  Lands  and  the  Uplands  is  the  principal  crop  next  to  cotton. 
These  lands  are  commonly  sufficiently  fertile  to  produce  profitable  yields  during 
favorable  seasons  of  both  cotton  and  corn  without  the  use  of  fertilizers.  By 
growing  cowpeas,  soy  beans  or  velvet  beans  with  the  corn,  however,  for  an 
increased  nitrogen  supply,  the  yield  of  both  crops,  especially  of  corn,  may  be 
materially  and  profitably  increased,  the  yield  being  increased  twenty-five  to 
fifty  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre. 

It  has  been  found  that  the  moisture  content  of  Louisiana  corn  is  very  low 
compared  to  that  in  corn  produced  in  Illinois.  For  example,  13.4  per  cent  in 
Louisiana  as  an  average  against  an  average  in  Illinois  corn  of  19.1  per  cent. 
This  is  due  to  the  usual  heat  and  dryness  of  the  climate  during  August  and 
September.  This  gives  Louisiana  an  advantage  in  the  early  shipment  of  the 
crop  that  enables  the  buyer  to  get  better  corn. 

Rice 

Louisiana  is  as  distinctively  a  rice  producing  State  as  she  is  a  sugar  produc- 
ing State.  The  rice  crop  is  an  exceedingly  important  one  to  the  State,  not 
only  because  of  the  amount  of  capital  involved  in  its  production  and  the  wealth 
evolved  therefrom,  but  because  by  it  lands  in  the  State, ^vhich  were  not  well 
adapted  to  any  other  crop,  have  been  utilized. 

This  crop  is  confined  almost  entirely  to  the  level  alluvial  lands  of  the  Ata- 
kapas  Prairies  and  to  the  Coast  Marsh  Lands  of  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
State.  The  acreage  in  1918  was  almost  double  that  devoted  to  sugar-cane  and 
distributed  as  follows:  About  12  per  cent  of  the  acreage  was  in  the  River  District, 
producing  an  average  of  40.2  bushels  to  the  acre;  6  percent  along  the  Teche, 
producing  an  average  of  35.4  bushels  to  the  acre;  and  82  per  cent  in  southwestern 
Louisiana,  producing  an  average  of  29. 1  bushels  to  the  acre.  From  this  state- 
ment the  relative  productivity  of  the  rice  lands  of  the  State  can  be  discerned. 
The  varieties  of  rice  planted  in  percentage  to  the  total  acreage  were,  Honduras 
12%,  Japan  5%,  Blue  Rose  57%,  Louisiana  Pearl  12%,  Early  Prolific  10%, 
Edith  2%  and  Carolina  2%. 

23 


Louisiana,  the  Rice  Granary  of  the  United  States 

The  rice  plant  is  very  sensitive  to  cold  and  must,  therefore,  not  be  planted 
too  early  in  the  season,  and  yet  sufficiently  early  for  it  to  mature  before  the 
cold  nights  of  autumn  come  on. 

Rice  is  not  an  expensive  crop  to  grow  compared  to  sugar-cane.  The  chief 
expense  after  planting  is  the  cost  of  irrigation.  The  farm  machinery  required, 
however,  and  the  teams  demanded  are  somewhat  expensive.  For  the  last 
four  or  five  years,  the  returns  of  the  crop  to  the  farmer  have  been  highly  satis- 
factory. The  per  acre  yield  of  the  State  last  season  was  thirtv-one  bushels 
and  total  production  17,980,000,  bushels  with  a  valuation  of  $35,061,000. 

Rice  polish  and  rice  bran  are  important  stock  feeds.  Mixed  with  other 
feeds  to  form  a  balanced  ration,  they  are  economic  and  highly  nutritious  for 
either  dairy  or  beef  cattle  and  for  hogs. 

Hay 

The  area  of  the  cultivated  or  tamed  varieties  of  hay  was,  for  the  year  1918, 
200,000  acres.  Wild  hay  occupied  about  38,000  acres.  The  yield  of  the  culti- 
vated hay  amounted  to  1.3  tons  per  acre,  against  a  ten-year  average  production 
of  1.6  tons.  The  yield  for  wild  hay  per  acre  was  one  ton  against  a  ten-year 
average  production  of  1.3  tons.  Usually  about  45  per  cent  of  the  hay  crop  is 
baled. 

Hay  meadows  and  pastures  will,  of  course,  thrive  well  in  any  part  of  the 
State.  The  soil,  the  rainfall  and  the  mild  winters  afford  almost  an  ideal  condi- 
tion for  the  growth  of  grasses.  The  better  the  soil,  of  course,  the  more  luxuriant 
the  crop.  For  this  jeason  the  alluvial  lands  are  the  best  hay  lands,  but  these 
lands  are  so  completely  utilized  for  other  crops  that  they  have  not,  as  a  rule, 
been  devoted  to  hay  crops. 

Alfalfa 

Alfalfa  does  particularly  well  on  the  rich  alluvial  lands  of  the  State,  when 
these  are  properly  drained,  and  will  also  thrive  well  on  the  Atakapas  Prairies, 
when  these  are  properly  drained  and  sufficiently  limed.  It  can  be  grown  with 
a  reasonable  degree  of  success  on  the  Bluff  Lands  of  the  State,  when  properly 
fertilized  and  sufficient  quantities  of  lime  applied. 

The  acreage  increase  of  alfalfa  in  1918  over  the  preceding  year  was  ten  per 
cent.  The  yield  per  acre  (all  cuttings)  was  2.2  tons  and  the  production  in  round 
numbers  55,000  tons. 

24 


PHOTJBBB 

-^#                           EfcU&#     *•>*&+* 

Lespedeza,  One  of  the  Best  Hay  Crops — 3lA  Tons  per  Acre 


Lespedeza 

Any  notice  of  the  agricultural  resources  of  Louisiana  and  opportunities 
in  the  State  would  be  incomplete  without  mention  of  lespedeza,  or  Japan 
clover,  used  both  for  pasturage  and  as  a  hay  crop. 

On  thin  land  it  does  not  attain  sufficient  height  to  cut  for  hay,  but  on  the 
fertile  lands  it  commonly  grows  from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  high,  and  sometimes 
even  higher.  It  demands  plenty  of  moisture  and  does  well  on  soil  with  good 
surface  drainage.  It  thrives  on  a  great  variety  of  soils,  and  where  the  proper 
conditions  of  soil  and  climate  are  present,  it  will  grow  in  timbered  lands;  thus 
adapting  itself  to  shady  woodlands  or  to  sunny  fields.  In  Louisiana  it  seems 
to  do  best  upon  the  Bluff  Lands  and  the  Alluvial  Lands  of  the  Mississippi, 
Ouachita  and  outlying  bayous.  The  plant  is  an  annual,  but  will  re-seed  itself 
and  thrive  in  the  same  soil  from  year  to  year.  Lespedeza  hay  is  very  nutritious, 
comparing  favorably  with  alfalfa,  and  is  much  easier  cured  than  alfalfa  hay,  but 
does  not  yield  as  heavily.  It  is  a  valuable  soil  renovator  and  these  three-fold 
utilities  of  the  plant — as  a  hay,  for  pasturage  and  for  the  improvement  of  thin 
soils — make  it  of  great  economic  value  to  the  State. 

Velvet  Beans 

No  other  crop  which  can  be  grown  in  the  field  with  the  corn  crop  will  so 
rapidly  increase  the  fertility  of  the  soil  as  velvet  beans.  The  crop  is  not  used 
ordinarily  for  hay,  but  grown  as  a  soil  renovator  and  then  pastured.    After  the 


Velvet  Beans — a  Soil  Improver 
25 


first  frost,  the  beans  may  be  gathered,  crushed  and  marketed  as  velvet  bean 
meal,  but  it  is  more  profitable  to  pasture  the  field  with  cattle  and  hogs. 

Velvet  beans,  in  connection  with  live-stock  raising,  give  an  increased  value 
to  the  thinner  soils  of  the  State,  but  the  intrinsic  value  of  these  soils,  because 
of  the  productivity  and  value  of  certain  crops  produced  upon  them,  is  only 
beginning  to  be  appreciated. 

Oats 

Upon  the  Bluff  Lands  of  northeastern  Louisiana  and  upon  the  Alluvial  and 
Uplands  of  the  northern  part  of  the  State,  oats  yield  a  valuable  crop.  This  crop 
is  of  great  agricultural  value  for  winter  grazing,  to  be  utilized  later  either  for 
hay  or  for  grain.  Oats  and  hairy  vetch,  or  oats  and  lespedeza  are  sometimes 
sown  together  with  profit.  They  can  be  grazed  during  the  winter  and  produce 
valuable  hay  when  cut  successively  in  the  spring  and  summer. 


Harvesting  Peanuts 


Peanuts 

Peanuts  can  be  grown  very  successfully  in  Louisiana  and  utilized  in  various 
ways.  They  can  be  fed  to  the  live  stock  on  the  farm  with  great  profit,  either 
to  the  farm  work  stock,  milk  cows,  fattening  beeves,  and  especially  to  hogs, 
which  can  be  turned  in  the  field  and  allowed  to  do  their  own  harvesting.  The 
entire  plant,  that  is  the  top  and  nuts,  form  practically  a  balanced  and  highly 
nutritious  ration  for  live  stock.  The  tops  themselves  are  equal  to  alfalfa  as  a  hay. 
•  This  crop,  together  with  the  sweet  potato  crop  and  sugar-cane  crop  for  syrup, 
makes  possible  the  economic  utilization  of  the  Pine  Hill  Lands  of  the  State  and 
the  thinner  soils  of  the  Uplands  to  an  extent  only  second  in  value  in  farm  oppor- 
tunities to  the  richer  soils  of  the  State.  The  yield  of  peanuts  on  the  thinner 
soils  of  the  State,  without  fertilizer  and  without  being  limed,  will  average 
about  thirty-five  bushels  to  the  acre  and  half  a  ton  of  tops  to  the  acre.  The 
nuts  should  be  worth  about  $1.25  a  bushel  and  the  hay  from  the  tops  about 
$25.00  to  $30.00  a  ton. 

Sweet  Potatoes 

Sweet  potatoes  and  peanuts  demand  essentially  the  same  type  of  soil, 
either  a  sandy  or  sandy  loam,  except  that  sweet  potatoes  require  considerably 
more  moisture  for  best  results  than  peanuts.  For  the  sweet  potato  crop  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  the  land  being  too  rich,  in  which  case  more  vines  than  potatoes 
will  be  produced. 

Within  recent  years  the  construction  of  sweet  potato  curing  houses,  where 
the    tuber  is  deprived  of  its  excess  of  water,   has  given  an    increased  value 

26 


to  the  crop,  and  a  renewed  interest  in  its  production.  By  means  of  these  curing 
houses,  it  is  possible  to  distribute  the  crop  to  the  market  throughout  the  winter  and 
spring  months  in  such  a  way  as  to  protect  the  price  and  facilitate  the  consumption. 

The  yield  per  acre  will  vary  from  150  to  400  bushels  and  the  price  to  the 
farmer  during  the  last  season  varied  from  $1.00  to  $1.75  a  bushel,  according 
to  whether  the  crop  was  thrown  on  the  market  immediately  after  digging,  or 
put  in  the  sweet  potato  curing  house  and  sold  later  in  the  season  after  the  supply 
diminished  and  the  market  advanced. 

Sweet  potatoes  are  a  valuable  stock  feed,  but  being  excessively  high  in  starch 
and  sugar,  they,  of  course,  need  to  be  balanced  with  some  protein  food  for  best 
results.  Their  market  value,  however,  for  human  food  precludes  their  ordinary 
use  for  live  stock.  The  sweet  potato  crop  very  commonly  follows  the  Irish 
potato  crop  upon  the  same  land. 

Truck  Crops 

The  mild  climate  of  Louisiana,  especially  the  country  adjacent  to  New 
Orleans,  with  an  exceedingly  rich  soil  and  abundant  rainfall,  is  particularly 
suited  to  the  production  of  winter  truck  crops.  For  more  than  a  century,  in 
fact,  New  Orleans  has  been  the  center  of  an  intensive  system  of  truck  farming. 
The  Reclaimed  Marsh  Lands  and  the  Alluvial  Lands,  with  proper  drainage, 
are  ideal  soils  for  the  truck  farmer. 

Cabbage,  cauliflower,  brussels  sprouts,  kohlrabi,  kale,  mustard,  parsley, 
spinach,  turnips,  radishes,  beets,  carrots,  onions,  garlic,  etc.,  may  be  grown 
through  the  winter  months.  Two  crops  a  year,  one  in  the  spring  and  one  in 
the  fall,  may  be  grown  of  snap  beans,  tomatoes,  sweet  peppers,  eggplant,  English 
peas,  Irish  potatoes,  sweet  corn,  etc. 

The  trucking  industry,  however,  is  not  confined  to  the  environments  of 
the  Crescent  City,  nor  to  the  rich  Alluvial  and  Delta  Lands  of  the  State.  The 
commercial  production  of  tomatoes,  spring  Irish  potatoes,  cabbage  and  straw- 
berries extends  well  over  the  State  in  its  varying  soil  divisions.  The  vegetable 
crop  for  the  entire  State,  for  1918,  exclusive  of  the  Irish  potato  crop  and  the 
strawberry  crop,  amounted  to  $3,100,000. 

The  Bluff  Lands,  the  Uplands,  the  Pine  Hill  Lands  and  the  Pine  Flats,  when 
properly  fertilized,  are  admirably  adapted  to  the  production  of  truck  crops. 
The  profits  to  the  truck  grower,  or  market  gardener,  in  Louisiana  are  always 
attractive.  Vegetable  shipments  to  be  remunerative  must  be  brought  on  the 
market  at  a  time  when  they  will  not  be  forced  to  compete  with  vegetables  grown 
in  the  zone  to  the  north  of  them. 


the^Finest  Quality  Grownjon  Cut-Over  Pine  Lands- 
Ready  for  Shipment  in  February 

27 


Strawberries — a  Million-Dollar  Crop 

Strawberries 

Commencing  about  February  25th  and  continuing  through  the  berry  season, 
tourists  and  travelers  will  be  greeted  at  every  railroad  station  in  the  Piny- 
woods  Strawberry  Section  by  the  cry  of  "Strawberries!"  "Strawberries!" 
"Strawberries!"  as  the  smalj  boy  cries  his  wares  to  the  traveling  public.  This 
sight  is  just  as  familiar  as  the  city  newsboy  selling  the  morning  paper. 

The  principal  strawberry  section  is  that  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi 
and  north  of  Lake  Pontchartrain,  from  which  more  than  two  million  dollars' 
worth  of  berries  is  shipped  annually.  These  berries  have  a  celebrated  reputation 
for  quality  and  flavor  and  the  "Louisiana  Strawberry"  has  become  a  household 
name  with  the  northern  housewife. 

The  Louisiana  berry  finds  a  ready  market  in  all  the  larger  cities  of  the  North, 
carried  by  fast  freight  trains  in  refrigerator  cars,  arriving  in  Chicago  the  third 
morning,  and  if  shipped  by  express,  the  berries  are  on  South  Water  Street  the 
second  morning. 

Fabulous  returns  have  been  made  by  the  strawberry  and  truck  grower  in 
this  section.  The  capacity  of  the  soil  to  produce  under  intensive  cultivation 
has  not  been  thoroughly  tested.  It  is  not  unusual  for  an  acre  to  produce  from 
300  to  400  crates  of  strawberries,  which  gives  the  farmer  a  net  average  return 
of  $3.25  per  crate,  or  $975  to  $1,300  per  acre. 

Twenty  acres  under  intensive  methods  of  cultivation  means  a  home  and 
independence  for  the  man  of  small  means. 

Citrus  Fruit 

Along  the  Gulf  Coast  of  Louisiana  on  both  banks  of  the  Mississippi  River 
below  New  Orleans,  exceptional  opportunities  are  offered  for  citrus  fruit  grow- 
ing. The  great  fertility  of  the  soil,  the  mild  temperature  and  the  abundant 
rainfall,  with  excellent  market  facilities,  mark  this  region  as  a  distinctive  citrus 
fruit  belt  and  should  be  held  in  much  higher  appreciation.  Nothing  but  a  lack 
of  knowledge  of  the  opportunities  it  has,  prevents  the  country  from  being  further 
advanced  in  its  development.  The  naval  orange  produced  in  this  section  is 
without  doubt  the  best  orange  grown  in  the  United  States.  The  Louisiana 
sweets  and  the  tangerine  grown  in  this  territory  are  famous  for  their  fine  qual- 
ity and  are  in  high  demand.  Grapefruit  finds  here  conditions  suitable  for  its 
greatest  production,  and  the  extension  of  orchards  will  undoubtedly  take  place 
very  rapidly.  , 

28 


Louisiana  Oranges  Are  Unequaled 


The  New  Orleans  market  has  eagerly  consumed  the  entire  output  of  this 
Louisiana  citrus  belt,  and  for  that  reason  the  superior  quality  of  the  product  is 
not  generally  known  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  but  as  new  orchards  come 
into  bearing,  the  quality  and  flavor  of  the  Louisiana  oranges,  the  grapefruit 
and  the  tangerine  will  undoubtedly  attract  the  attention  of  the  settler  in  search 
of  a  milder  winter,  where  he  may  pick  the  fruit  from  his  own  tree  through  the 
season  and  grow  profitable  summer  crops  in  addition. 

RAINFALL  AND  CLIMATE 

According  to  figures  furnished  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Agri- 
culture Weather  Bureau,  the  normal  monthly  and  annual  temperature  and 
precipitation  for  the  State  of  Louisiana  for  the  year  1918  were  as  follows: 

Temperature     Precipitation 
Month  Fahrenheit  Inches 

January 43.3  4.38 

February 58.9  2.28 

March 66.1  2.09 

April 66.3  7.07 

May 74.8  2.05 

June 82.7  3.70 

July 84.2    '  3.16 

August 81.9  6.66 

September 73.7  2.74 

October 71.6  9.18 

November 57.0  5.46 

December 55.1  5.93 

Animal  rainfall.  .  .54.72 

Average  mean  temperature 67.9 

Average  monthly  rainfall      4.~)(> 

HEALTH  AND  LIVING  CONDITIONS 

The  intelligent  homeseeker,  in  considering  a  change  of  location,  is  likely  to 
be  influenced  by  the  following  conditions: 

First:     Health  conditions. 

Second:  Educational  advantages. 

Third:   Opportunities  for  bettering  his  financial  or  economic  condition. 

There  is  conclusive  evidence  on  record  that  the  State  of  Louisiana  is  a  health- 
ful region  in  which  to  live  and  which  completely  refutes  the  misrepresentations 

29 


Far  Removed  from  Winter  Snows,  in  a  Land  of  Pleasure  and  Plenty 


of  the  past.     The  mortality  rate  for  1917  per  1000  was  12.5 — a  very  low  rate 
as  compared  with  other  states. 

Louisiana  has  an  ideal  climate.  Outdoor  work  is  never  retarded  because 
of  too  much  cold  or  too  hot  weather,  and  heat  prostrations  or  sunstrokes  seldom, 
if  ever,  occur.  Purer  water  can  be  found  nowhere  than  that  flowing  from 
the  artesian  wells  in  every  portion  of  the  State,  an  analysis  of  which  shows  it 
to  be  of  the  very  best  quality. 

Dr.  Oscar  Dowling,  President  Louisiana  State  Board  of  Health,  says: 

"From  personal  observations  as  State  Health  Officer  throughout  eight 
years,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  conditions  in  Louisiana  are  almost 
ideal,  both  as  to  climate  and  health,  provided  the  people^ive  in  accord- 
ance with  the  ordinary  rules  of  hygiene.  The  homeseeker  will  make  no 
mistake  in  coming  to  Louisiana  to  live.  I  would  not  be  understood  to 
claim  that  sanitary  or  health  conditions  throughout  the  South  are  all  that 
could  be  desired,  nor  could  I  say  the  same  concerning  the  North  or  any 
foreign  country,  but  I  do  mean  to  say  that,  with  its  salubrious  climate, 
one  may  settle  in  any  of  our  Southern  States  and  by  observing,  for  himself 
and  his  family,  the  sanitary  laws  and  principles  now  so  well  understood, 
he  will  be  under  as  favorable  conditions  for  health  and  length  of  life 
as  he  could  be  anywhere." 

With  climatic  and  living  conditions  almost  ideal;  with  educational  facilities 
second  to  none;  with  natural  magnificent  resources  and  a  most  fertile  soil, 
we  know  of  no  territory  better  qualified  for  bettering  the  financial  and  economic 
condition  of  the  homeseeker  than  the  State  of  Louisiana. 

EDUCATIONAL  FACILITIES 

Louisiana  now  has  300  four-year  State  approved  high  schools  located  in  all 
parts  of  the  State;  she  has  numerous  junior  high  schools,  and  in  the  develop- 
ment of  her  country  schools  she  has  made  phenomenal  strides  during  the  past 
few  years.  Hundreds  of  consolidated  schools  offering  industrial  and  high 
school  courses  have  been  organized,  thus  insuring  the  country  boy  and  girl 
equal  educational  advantages  accorded  the  boys  and  girls  of  the  towns  and 

30 


111! 


Louisiana  Affords  Splendid  Educational  Facilities 

cities.  The  State  has  recently  (November  5,  1918)  adopted  constitutional 
amendments  which  guarantee  adequate  revenues  for  the  proper  education  of 
all  children  within  her  gates. 

The  educational  facilities  of  the  State  consist  of  the  following: 

School  Systems 

(a)  State  System  of  Public  Schools,  supported  by  taxation  and  appropri- 
ations; supervised  by  State  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction,  a 
State  Board  of  Education  and  Parish  School  Boards. 

(b)  The  City  School  Systems,  the  same  as  exists  in  other  states. 

Higher  Education 

(a)  Accredited  high  schools  pursuing  course  of  study  approved  by  State 
Board  of  Education. 

(b)  The  State  University  and  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College. 

(c)  Tulane  University  of  Louisiana,  located  in  New  Orleans. 

Professional  Educational  Training 

(a)  State  Normal  School  at  Natchitoches. 

(b)  New  Orleans  Normal  School. 

(c)  State  Teachers'  Institutes  and  Summer  Normal  Schools. 

(d)  Parish  Teachers'  Institutes  of  one  week  duration. 

(e)  Educational  Associations. 

Industrial  Education 

(a)  The  State  Industrial  Institute  at  Ruston. 

(b)  The  Southwestern  Industrial  Institute  at  Lafayette. 

Education  of  the  Colored 

(a)  Public  schools  in  every  town,  city  and  parish. 

(b)  Southern  University  for  the  higher  and  industrial  training  of  the 
negro  youth. 

Too  much  cannot  be  said  concerning  the  splendid  work  being  done  by  the 
Louisiana  State  University  and  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College,  and  the 
Extension  Department  in  the  greater  agricultural  development  of  the  State. 

31 


Grain  Elevators  at  the  Port  of  New  Orleans  for  Export  Trade  Have  a  Capacity  of  7,1 22,000  Bushels 


Port  of  New  Orleans,  the  Gateway  to  the  Mississippi  Valley  Trade,  both  for  Import  and  Export. 
Cotton  Warehouse  in  the  Foreground,  the  Largest  of  Its  Kind  in  the  World 


32 


POOLE  BROS.   CHICAGO. 


Issued  by 

UNITED  STATES  RAILROAD  ADMINISTRATION 

AGRICULTURAL  SECTION 

J.  L.  EDWARDS,  Manager 

WASHINGTON, D.  C. 
For  Further  Information  Address 


SB 


V  m 


»v»-  ' 


,  .  ^  borrowed. 


y52B 


DEC  U 1952  tU 


( 


LD  21-10°W' 


_u;49(B71*6Bl6) 


I 


Vj;s^«iyaa?r.m\yx<«^^^ 


Gaylord  Bros. 

Makers 

Syracuse,  N.  V 

PAT.  JAN.  21, 1908 


f960t 


/ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


